The 36-year-old star was aboard a commercial Delta flight bound for Russia when one of its engines shut down, his rep said. Sources said the pilot skillfully landed the plane and a grateful DiCaprio signed autographs for the entire crew.

"En route to attend the Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg, Leonardo DiCaprio was one of the passengers aboard Delta Flight 30,” a statement from DiCaprio's rep said. “He wishes to commend the actions of the pilot and flight crew in bringing the plane to a safe landing.”

The jet circled the airport for 90 minutes and dump about 60,000 pounds of fuel Sunday evening before landing on the runway, where a crew of 160 firefighters was on emergency standby.